Spring 2011

Early Spanish American Women Writers

Faculty

Description

(Offered as SPAN 85 and WAGS 09.) (RC) In this course we will study the writings of women of Spanish America from 1556 to the end of the 19th century, focusing on writers who came from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Cuba, Peru and Colombia. Their writings cover the colonial period as well as that of post-independence, and trace the ever-strengthening role of the female voice in Spanish American literature. There are the voices of an early settler in Argentina and Paraguay, three nuns (Catalina de Erauso, transvestite and soldier; the incomparable Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz; and the visionary Madre Castillo) followed by an important group of 19th century women who were finally able to make a living by their pen. The most famous of these is Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, who wrote the first antislavery novel of the Americas, eleven years ahead of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Most of them knew and supported each other by ties of friendship and a strong professional network. In all of these voices one will hear articulated the desire for the right to express themselves as women and to be heard in a field that was decidedly masculine and often hostile to their efforts. Conducted in Spanish.

SPAN 85 - L/D

Below are the textbooks used in this course, along with pricing information and availability at local bookstores. The price range shown is based upon queries to multiple online booksellers; roll your mouse over the price field to see detailed pricing information.